Get ready for your favorite new, groovy, soulful tune because Ontario-based trio Road Waves’ new single, “Small World,” is out now
The trio originated in 2014 and quickly fell in love with cross-country touring. Of course, when the COVID virus caused an unforeseen pause for live music events, the band had to compromise. The group brainstormed the best ways to keep their strong relationship with their fans, deciding to perform live stream concerts and videos. The trio stepped up their game a notch and hosted drive-in concerts for safe, socially distanced live events.
The trio consists of Ji Sharp on Lead vocals and guitar, Matt Maxwell on Drums and Vocals and Dave Ruigrok on Bass Guitar. When the trio recorded “Small World,” Yo Izumita played Bass Guitar.
The catchy groove evokes a beach-like feel. The keys dance while the rippling percussion moves the listener to tap their foot. The flutists dazzle with their higher-pitched, windy voices; the trumpets thunder through the latter half of the song and the vocals charm the listener. The lyrics advocates for the universal need to spread love and erase hate.
“I heard the call from my sisters and brothers/ The worlds so small, but we got one another/ We’ve got to think of the children/ And what we leave behind for them all.”
According to Road Waves, Radiohead, Paul Simon, and Tedeschi Trucks Band inspired the five-minute ode to universal love. The band coined this track during the pandemic. Actually, “Small World” was the first song the band worked on during the global lockdown.
“It was a message to fellow artists and humans, as well as me, that we had a special role to play in the chaos in the world. As artists, I believe that our role is to bear witness to life all around us during the good, the bad and the boring times and find ways of making sense of/manifesting the human experience in the form of words, music, and art.”
Road Waves picked their tour back up in early 2022, and their lockdown tactics worked. The band will embark on their 2nd US tour of the year in the fall. One of the unique aspects of the trio is their inclination to move with their sound. Road Waves loves to go with the flow of their music. Yes, they have recorded songs, and they know their music, but when the beat enthralls them during a live show, they go with it. No version of a Road Waves’ song is ever the same.
